GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 03: Celtic's Callum McGregor celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 but the goal is disallowed following a VAR check for a handball during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren at Celtic Park, on August 03, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Last night Callum McGregor made his first comments since the Nancy era came to an end at Celtic Park, and they were interesting for one simple reason: not for what he said, but for what he didn’t.
He barely mentioned the Nancy interregnum at all. Instead, he talked about how good it felt to get back to doing what players at Celtic are supposed to do. He described the football as “Celtic football”, which echoed exactly what we said on here last night.
Everyone is saying the same thing.
These players looked like men who had been carrying a bag of bricks around for weeks and had finally been allowed to put it down.
McGregor spoke about picking up where they left off, as if the time in between barely existed. As if the whole thing had been a strange, forgettable detour rather than something worth revisiting. That was absolutely the right way to handle it. There is no value now in relitigating what went wrong.
We already know. The players were unhappy. They raised concerns with Nancy and with those above him.
McGregor never spoke out publicly while Nancy was in the job, but his silence spoke loudly enough.
When the captain stops talking altogether, you know he is choosing not to say what he really thinks.
I have no doubt he spoke behind the scenes. I have no doubt he carried the views of the dressing room to the board and to those with power. Everyone at Celtic Park knew exactly where Callum McGregor stood.
It may even be, and this is speculation, that the stories linking him with Saudi Arabia formed part of that wider pressure. I don’t know how I feel about that idea, but I do know this: a Wilfred Nancy Celtic team without Callum McGregor would have been even worse than what we saw.
McGregor has fulfilled the captain’s role in ways the public rarely see. That is almost always the case. People complain that he doesn’t shout enough, doesn’t rage at teammates, doesn’t vent in post-match interviews. That criticism misunderstands leadership. We see about five per cent of Callum McGregor. He knows exactly how to behave in public, and he behaves very differently away from the cameras.
I have no doubt the McGregor his teammates deal with every day is a different animal altogether. He leads quietly, but decisively. If discussions took place between players and board members about the manager, McGregor would have stood at the centre of them. That is why it mattered to hear from him now. Nancy has gone. The obligation to defend him has gone with him. McGregor no longer needs to weigh every word.
And what did he do? He erased the episode from the conversation entirely and spoke about moving on. That tells us everything we need to know.
It is no coincidence that he played so well yesterday. It is no coincidence that he chose now to speak again. McGregor has captained Celtic through a period of almost unprecedented success. Few players in this club’s history have experienced what he has. When things go wrong, he feels it more than most.
When Rodgers left the first time, the pain was obvious. This time, what you sense is relief. Possibly even satisfaction. That particular chapter has closed.
Whatever remains unresolved between the board and the fans, the players and the management team are functioning as a unit again. If Celtic are going to salvage anything from this season, that was non-negotiable.
McGregor’s intervention wasn’t loud. It wasn’t showy. It didn’t seek attention. But it mattered. He pitched it exactly where it needed to be, framing this whole sorry episode as something best left behind.
On that much, I think we can all agree.
When government doesn’t speak we rage. He should have spoken out and that whole sorry month would have lasted much shorter. He is picked to be the leader for a reason. It he would have let us fans know the truth we would have increased the pressure much more, in turn bringing Nacys time in charge to an end much quicker. Points could have been saved. At the end of the season if we do not win the title I’ll look back at his choice to keep quiet much more harshly. That could have been the critical mistake in the title race. Time will tell.
Good points Chris, for it seems to me that it was no coincidence that Nancy wasn’t sacked until Luke McCowan stepped in, and it was his candid comments that exposed the real truth of the situation we were in.
I think the captain going to the papers with his concerns over the new manager after a couple of matches would have blown up in his face. The club would still have tried to give WN a chance and probably stripped him of the captaincy.
The blame for the calamity of Nancy’s reign of error lies solely in the boardroom for accepting the recommendation of a chancer and not doing enough due diligence before appointing a coach with insufficient experience to perform the role, not in the dressing room for failing to voice their concerns publicly. I strongly suspect he made his views very clear with the decision makers at the club as soon as he realised the extent of the problem. I don’t think anything would have shortened Nancy’s tenure – remember how long they held on to Lennon when even a blind man could see he had totally lost the dressing room and was floundering.
spot on Captain. McGregor is an employee end off. Expecting an employee to go off script could have had the phone from Saudi ringing loudly if discipline issues had been raised with him. Suggesting an increase in pressure would have driven Nancy out the door sooner?? We have been screaming at the board for ages now without much joy
A wise man says very few words and when he speaks it is worth listening to.
There are many who come onto your blog James who deride our captain. It will become apparent when we no longer have him how good he actually is/was.
For me he has always led by example, both on and off the field. Like anybody he can have an off day, which certain segments of our support always seem keen to pounce on.
What your piece today does though, is out fully into focus on our succession planning and who we bring in to replace him. KT is the obvious choice if we can get him to stay clear of injuries and another for me if he matures a bit further is Luke McCowan. Great story today mate. Well done.
I agree. People seem to see the likes of Roy Keane as a template for a captain and leader because he was always shouting and bawling at his team mates. He isn’t – Keane’s combustible temperament may have driven much of his success but it also led to terrible disciplinary problems and cost him both the chance to play in a Champions League final and ultimately led to his fairly ignominious departure from Old Trafford. Far better to have a clear-eyed and calm person in that role.
As for succession planning on the captaincy, all the obvious candidates seem a bit injury-prone, so maybe the next captain isn’t in the building yet.
Very good points ! I find it hard to understand the criticism that some decide to give him and continue to do so! Unfair in my opinion and some fans have very short memories!!!
Calmac may have went above Nancy after the league cup final loss and been told to persevere by them for all we know.
So let’s not judge him based on our own speculation of events which we have no knowledge of.
He is an exceptional captain who hopefully gets back to his best again after suffering a form dip and more errors than his usual under Wilf.
Cal-Mac is a great Captain for sure !